Stolen
by TheUn-POP-ableBubble
Summary: Scrolling through the contents of a friend's stolen iPod was not as boring as Logan previously thought.  Dalton!verse, Jogan, rated for language


**Author's Note: Welcome those who board the Jogan Gondola!**

**I'm rather excited to have you all here, as this is my first official Jogan story (though third attempt)! The idea was based off a tidbit fed to us in ep. 26: that Julian steals Logan's iPod. Canon's consequences of such actions are unknown so here's my own spin on what happens when _Logan_ steal's _Julian's_ iPod. I hope you read and enjoy! **

**Gondoliers, may you ever flail but never capsize! **

**Disclaimer: For those of you sailing on the Gondola for the first time, you should know that the portrayed coupling belongs to author CP Coulter as they derive from her brilliance that is "Dalton". Neither do I own, in any way, the songs which lyrics have been spelt out for you here.**

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><p>At Dalton, the standard was that the prefect of each House be an exceptionally model student. Not only were they expected to be intelligent, sensible, rational, and capable of great feats; they were incredibly organized and therefore capable of digging their housemates out of nearly any mess. As such, a prefect's room was meant to always be in a state of perfection, neat and tidy at the very least.<p>

Logan Wright's room did not resemble perfection.

School notes spread around, sheet music balancing in uneven piles, textbooks on the floor, bed unmade, keyboard starting to brush up with dust. Such was the chaos the Senator's son evoked after he realized his iPod was nowhere to be found.

"Frickin' Larson…"

Thoroughly annoyed – this was the fifth time this week he'd stolen it! – Logan began to march in the direction of Julian's room. Swiping the copied keycard through the lock, and with a complete talking-to mentally prepared, Logan was greatly disappointed to storm into an empty room. Assuming Julian to be in the common room, Logan spun around to resume his mission when a device caught his green, green eyes.

Sitting atop his completed workload for the day was Julian's purple iPod.

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><p>Scrolling through the contents of a friend's stolen iPod was not as boring as Logan previously thought. It was rather interesting to see some of what Julian never revealed to others, even if it was only through his music. Then again, as he scrolled through Julian's random and disconnected collection of musical genres, comfortable on his own bed, Logan remembered that Julian did not express himself through song, but rather through acting. Julian had once invited him and Derek to spend a day on the <em>Something Damaged <em>set, during the first holiday break the three of them shared together. Derek had probably been more focused on Julian's female co-stars but Logan had watched Julian. He had never seen Julian's expression as elated as it had been that day on the set, surrounded by the crew and friends. Julian threw himself at his work a lot, that was true, and sometimes he cast aside his own health for it; but it was because he truly _loved _it. That's what Logan had discovered that day – that music was not the only way people expressed themselves to the world; that Julian was passionate about something, too.

It was the only reason Logan tolerated Julian's frequent, long-term absences from his life.

Frowning upon discovery that Julian had not created any playlists at all, Logan opened up the Recently Played playlist.

Huh.

That was weird. Julian had 807 songs on his iPod but his Recently Played playlist contained only a single song.

'_He only ever listens to one song?'_ Logan could not imagine that - even if the actor constantly stole his iPod to actually listen to his selection of music rather than his own. Playing only one song equated to living only one day of life, in the prefect's mind. Then again, Hollywood did espouse crap like that. Living every day to the fullest, a dying man wanting just one more day to live, blah, blah. Maybe Julian's one song was just as important as that one day was to someone else.

Curiosity pressing him forward, Logan placed Julian's headphones over his head and pressed play on a song he didn't recognize.

_I'm sitting in a room_

_Made up of only big white walls and in the hall_

_There are people looking through_

_The window in the door_

_They know exactly what we're here for_

The speed of the song threw Logan off at first. Not only were the lyrics spoken quickly, but the beat was high in energy. He wondered what appeal this particular song had for the prima donna…

_Don't look up, just let them think_

_There's no place else you'd rather be_

Logan hadn't known what kind of song he expected Julian to favour, but this isn't what he would have guessed. Never would he have guessed that Julian was hiding something so hurtful.

_You're always on display_

_For everyone to watch and learn from _

_Don't you know by now?_

_You can't turn back_

_Because this road is all you'll ever have_

It seemed like such a bitter song – an angry song. Did Julian really keep all of this underneath his red-carpet smile? During all his performances, was he secretly rattling off these lyrics in his head? But Logan had been convinced Julian loved his career – he had _seen _it on his face! Had something changed? Or was Julian really that convincing?

_It's obvious that you're dying, dying_

_Just living proof that the camera's lying_

_And oh, oh, open wide_

'_Cause this is your night, so smile_

'_Cause you'll go out in style_

"Logan, have you seen Derek anywhere?" The sudden appearance of Julian in his doorway made Logan jump. Julian tried not to laugh.

"Shit, Jules," his heart racing, Logan tore off the headphones and sat up, "how do you always manage to just… _appear_?"

"Natural talent," he answered smoothly, critical eyes recognizing the headphones in Logan's hands. Julian's expression looked sincerely surprised. "Did you steal my iPod?"

"You steal mine all the time." Logan tried his best not to look guilty. Usually he wouldn't be so sheepish about snatching things from his friends but he had been exposed to a part of Julian that was carefully kept hidden from others – a part that Julian hadn't been ready to share just yet. It was as private a thing as his medication.

"Ah, right. I suppose that gives you total permission to mimic and retaliate. Good one, Lo." And though his tone was as sarcastic as usual, Julian wasn't smiling. But he wasn't frowning or scowling either. Rather, he was simply _staring, _as if his eyes alone would tell him if Logan knew what he shouldn't.

"You said you're looking for Derek?" Logan hoped changing the subject might make those sepia eyes less penetrating – less threatening.

Julian stared for a while longer. Finally he gave up, rolled his eyes and shifted his stance, "Yeah, I am. He borrowed my English notes and I need them back. Y'know, because that's a part of what _borrowing _means, along with _asking my permission_." The ever-dramatic smirk was now present, letting Logan know that Julian was much less serious now.

"Yeah, yeah, I get your point." Settling back onto his bed, Logan replaced the headphones over his ears, the song having played through their whole conversation. Julian's settings were set to Replay: One though, so the song was now somewhere in the middle.

_The constant battle that you hate to fight_

_Just blame the limelight_

_Don't look up, just let them think _

_There's no place else you'd rather be_

"He's probably holed up in Bailey's room." Logan finally answered.

"Derek? Why?"

"He goes there whenever he's severely desperate for sanctuary and he's _got _to be stressed right now. With city championships coming up, breaking up with Tatyana, flirting with her sister, and keeping up with Dalton's workload…"

_And now you can't turn back_

_Because this road is all you'll ever have_

"So he hides out in _Tipton's _room?"

Logan shrugged. "Something about Bailey being too nice to ask questions or distract him or something. Apparently, Bailey keeps to his own things even when you're in the same room."

"Unlike you, then," Logan's glare was the reward for Julian's snide remark.

_And it's obvious that you're dying, dying_

_Just living proof that the camera's lying_

_And oh, oh, open wide_

'_Cause this is your night, so smile_

Julian pushed off the door frame and made to leave. "Just make sure you get that back to me in one piece, please, Your Highness."

"Before or after _you_ return _mine_?" Logan teased, grinning.

Julian's grin shone back, the actor happy to be ending a conversation with Logan pleasantly. "Whatever you decide." And then he vanished.

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><p>The next morning, Julian was roused awake by a melody very unlike his usual alarm. Blinking blearily, Julian looked to his night table and found his iPod had been returned. Except, portable speakers he knew to be Logan's were attached to it instead of his usual headphones. And it was playing a song he thought he'd heard before…<p>

_On the road_

_Holding on to the end of the rope_

_Have you lost your mind?_

_Were you left behind to find your way home?_

He did know this song. He had once overheard Logan trying it out on his keyboard. When Logan cut off the song abruptly, Julian had asked why he stopped. He'd said it didn't contain the right message; that while the lyrics were inspiring, there was a strong undertone of sorrow and hopelessness. That was when he dueled for a lead for last year's Sectionals.

And Logan had set it as a freaking alarm.

Much more emotional than he should be, Julian turned on his back and promptly covered his face and ears with his pillow. He _knew_ Logan had discovered_ that_ song – he had seen the concern printed all over his stupid face! Why hadn't he just taken back the damned device then? Oh yeah, he hadn't wanted to seem suspicious. Let Logan think he just liked the song, or that it had been the last song he happened to listen to in the past couple months; but don't make it seem like he listened to it at the end of every day, exhausted of the several life-long performances he had to give to everyone. And maybe Logan hadn't been listening to _that_ song anyway – he could have just been jumpy because he was so easily caught doing something he hadn't done before. That was why Julian had let it pass – Logan had never pried so deep into his life before.

But Julian should have known better. Logan was not stupid. Worse, Logan understood music; lived and breathed and _communicated _with it. Of course he would have picked up on the distress signal Julian sent out every time "Fences" played.

And now Logan had responded to his signal with a message of his own. Julian half didn't want to hear it – he'd missed out on part of it already. But the other half…

_Look inside_

_See the misery deep in your eyes_

_Have you lost yourself?_

_Are you out of tears for the times you cried?_

Julian pressed the pillow back against his ears and shut his eyes against the pressing waterworks. Logan wasn't supposed to really care – he wasn't supposed to really _know_ Julian. And now that he did, Julian would never be able to hide this side from him.

Everything was not supposed to be this messed up.

_You're not alone_

_There is more to this I know_

_You will live to tell_

_You will live to tell_

Suddenly angry, Julian whacked his hand down upon his iPod. It flew off the table, and Logan's speakers clattered after it, but at least the room fell silent. Taking the time to breathe now that he could, Julian threw the pillow away from him too, leaving him to stare a hole into his ceiling.

Eventually growing fed up with himself, Julian managed to hoist himself upright and gave a long, breathy sigh. That was when he noticed his headphones also lying on his night table – a safe distance from where the other objects had been. Underneath them was a folded piece of paper.

Hesitantly, Julian retrieved the paper and, with all the anticipation and anxiety of unwrapping a Christmas present, opened it. As he expected and feared, there was a note – written in Logan's handwriting:

_I'll do anything you want me to  
>When you give it up I'll be with you<br>When you feel afraid I'll pull you through  
>I'll do anything you need me to<em>

_Really._

_Logan_

Julian didn't know why the message – instead of bringing on more anger, more pain, confusion, weakness – brought him relief and tears and feeling like he was loved by one of the best people in the whole world.

"Damn you, Wright," but even as he cursed, Julian could feel his heart swelling – with what though? happiness? love? heart ache? "Damn you to fucking Hell…"

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><p><strong>Author's Note: Ta-dah! Personally, I'm super duper pleased with myself for even finishing this piece. This was my third attempt at Jogan before I could actually end a story to my satisfaction. And I love what came from it!<strong>

**Songs used are "Fences" by Paramore and "Live to Tell" by Alyssa Reid, respectively. And yes, Logan's note is a continuation of "Live to Tell"'s lyrics. :) Cuz deep, deep down he's a big softie for his friends.**


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